I've got friends in low places
by iheartslashers
Summary: Fanfic about the 1962 Phantom of the Opera. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do before reading this. I think it's pretty cool, actually. REVIEW! It makes me happy when people review. NEW CHAPTERS UP!... I accept both anonymous and signed reviews.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

I woke up with a massive headache, and picked myself up off the ground, groaning with discomfort. I blinked against the unwanted light, and tried to see.

My jaw dropped.

DUDE! I FREAKIN' KNEW WHERE I WAS FOR A CHANGE!

_ That might be a bad thing._, I thought, knowing exactly who lived here.

To clear things up, allow me to explain where I was.

Firstly, I knew I was in London, in the year 1900 to be exact. It was winter, and I could feel the wind at my back. I was in this strange sewer-like tunnel, complete with water coming in from the river. There were two banks made of concrete on the side of the water's path, and I'd woken up on the right bank. The length from one side to the other was about six feet across, the top from the bottom about 6 feet as well, so you can imagine how cramped the tunnel was.

Anyway, I could hear this organ playing a depressing, almost creepy tune, and I smiled, knowing who it was. I remembered I had to watch out for his friend, who was a little bit harder to convince that I was a nice, non-dangerous person.

So, I tried to walk through the water, and realized I had this thin, but comfortable, dress on. It was my size, too, which was nice, for a change. It was this pretty shade of blue.

I made my way towards the music, and was almost there, judging by the volume, when I noticed this weird thing coming towards me. It was this sort of breathing implement, and a round piece of wood, with a sort of breathing tube running up through it, was on top of the water, coming towards me.

_His friend._, I thought. I knew that his friend carried a knife, and I didn't know how to fight worth beans. All I could do was wait for the man, breathing underwater, to reach me. (Don't ask, it's a thing he does.)

Then he rose up out of the water, this mute dwarf of a man, wielding a knife with an angry expression on his face.

I shrieked, and ducked, going underwater. The knife followed, but missed, thank goodness. I rose up out of the water, and scrambled up onto the left bank. I turned around and gave him a nasty kick to the head. He winced, but made no sound whatsoever.

"I'm sorry.", I whispered, and kicked him again. This time, he fell backwards onto the right bank. I took the chance and bolted for the end of the tunnel, where I knew _he_ would be. I half swam, half ran through the water, and finally reached the end of the tunnel.

I knew this place by heart. There was a bed, a table, some chairs, some candles, a weird tiger rug, a chess set, a cabinet, some random large jars, and a painting. This was a large cave-like room, but strangely felt like home to me.

Next to the painting was the cutest Phantom I ever did see. I just stood there with this stupid expression on my face, looking at how completely awesome he looked in his element playing the organ.

I suddenly remembered the mute man chasing me with a knife, so I ran to the edge of the lake –like pool of water, and clambered out. The man up at the organ wasn't even paying attention, until I said, "Dude. You touch me with that knife and I'll give you a serving of kick-ass with a side of pain."

The man up at the organ got up off his bench and turned around, spooking like a startled animal. I saw his dirty black suit, his purplish bow tie, and his full-faced white mask with his eye-patch and his blown light blonde hair, with his grayish forehead and hands, and thought he was all the cuter for it. Sure, he was old, but that didn't stop me from loving him.

"Professor Petrie!", I yelled, "Your friend is going to kill me!" In truth, his friend had already clambered up out of the water after me and was nearing me with that knife of his. Then the professor made a motion with his hand, telling his friend to stop, which he did.

The man walked to the edge of the plateau and looked at me, not perceiving me as much of a physical threat anymore, but still not trusting me.

"How do you know my name?", he said, his lovely yet rough voice reaching my ears for the first time.

_OMG! This is just like the movie!_, I thought. "I know who you are, Professor, because I made it my business to find out."

He regarded me coolly, and finally held out his right hand to me, testing my trust.

His friend watched us.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

I slowly walked up to him, only slightly afraid. But then I thought, _What if he hurt me?... No. he's the Professor. He wouldn't hurt me. _

I put my hand in his, hesitantly for some reason. He had a firm yet somehow gentle grip, and led me to the bench near the wall. He let go of my hand, and I sat on the bench, trying not to look in his eye.

"You are brave for so young a person. Tell me, what is your name?"

"…Julia."

"You say it like a question."

"Hmm.", I said, trying to focus only on a spot of dirt on the wall.

"Look at me!", he hissed, catching me under the jaw and forcing me to look at him. I turned a light shade of pink when I looked him in the eye, and he let go, saying, "Why do you blush so?"

I shrugged, not willing to tell him that I liked him.

He looked at me sternly, judging my answer. But then he gave it up entirely, and asked, "If you do not tell anyone of our whereabouts, then I will allow you to stay. But if I hear that you told about us, then you go…You seem trustworthy enough."

He would only make me go because he was unwilling to kill me, and he wouldn't let his friend kill me for some reason or other. I wondered why he allowed me to stay so easily.

"Thank you.", I said,.

He didn't reply, for he had turned back to his organ, and started to play.

That was his way of telling me to leave him.

I looked at him for a few seconds, wondering if he would say anything else; but when he didn't, I shrugged sadly, and left the bench.

I then went back to his friend, who had been watching us the whole time. He, whoever he was, had put his knife away, and was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Hello, Mister.", I said, holding out a hand for him to shake. He looked at it for a bit, then got up and shook my hand.

"Want to play a game of chess?", I asked him. He nodded, and followed me over to the chess board.

We both sat down, and he was the black pieces and I was the white pieces. I ended up beating him the first game, but he got me the second game.

After a couple games, I asked, "If It's okay with you, I'd like to know who you are."

The man looked up behind me as the Professor walked up behind me. I realized the music had ceased.

"Who he is, I do not know. And as he cannot speak I shall never know."

"Can you read or write?", I asked the man.

Suddenly, the man looked at the Professor with a frightful expression that had nothing to do with what I'd just said, and ran off.

The Professor said, "Sometimes he's uncontrollable, like a wild animal."

I looked at him, and asked hesitantly, "Why did you stop? The music was beautiful, in a way."

"Even I cannot play forever… Besides, it's suppertime.", he mumbled, and the mute man came back to us, having calmed down, carrying three bowls of something, with three spoons.

"I'm sorry, but it's not the best thing for eating.", the Professor admitted, and sat at the head of the table.

"That's fine.", I said in a respectful tone.

We each took our bowls, and I started to eat. It was a weird concoction of chicken broth and something resembling a badly made gumbo. It didn't taste all that great, but it didn't taste like dirt either.

They were staring at me.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

"What?"

"Um… There are certain reasons why I don't like to eat in the company of others…", the Professor hinted.

"Oh…_Oh_. Please, forgive my stupidity.", I said, picking up the bowl and spoon. I turned around and walked away. But where would I eat?

"You can eat in the little area over there.", the Professor said behind my back. I turned and saw he was pointing to a place behind his chair. So I wouldn't see him, and he couldn't see me.

There was a certain sorry tension in the air as I walked past the Professor's chair, but I tried, and failed, to not let it get to me.

I walked over to the place where he'd pointed, and ate this so-called soup-like concoction.

When I was finished, I looked over at the Professor and his mute friend. I saw that his mask was on the table, and he was spooning the soup into his mouth. I couldn't see his face because his back was to me, and his friend kept stealing glances over in my direction while he ate.

When they were finished, the Professor put his mask back on, his way of telling me it was safe to come see him in the front again.

I took my bowl and spoon, and went back to the table.

"You can give the bowl and spoon to him.", the Professor said, jerking his head in his friend's direction. The mute man came and took my bowl and spoon away, and went to wash them in the lake-like pool of water. The man did the same with the Professor's bowl and his own, too.

Then the man put them back on the shelf of the cabinet, and walked over to us again. He sat down, and all three of us awkwardly stared at each other.

"Was it good?", the Professor said.

"Yes. It was better than expected."

"Good."

I could see this conversation wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon, so I asked, "Professor Petrie, could you play us some more music, please?"

The only answer the Professor gave was to get up and go back to his organ, which he started to play again.

"Um…can I take a bath?", I asked the dwarf.

He didn't turn any shade of pink or red, but shrugged and pointed to the water.

I looked at it.

It was a dirty shade of light brown.

"I'm not taking a bath in that, and _definitely _not while you two are here.", I griped lightly.

The man shrugged, as if to say, "Well, it's either that or no bath at all. And really, must you have one?", and looked up at the Professor, who was completely oblivious to anything but his music at the moment.

We both listened to the Professor's music for a while. Then I started to get tired, and yawned. The dwarf looked at me and pointed to the bed. I glared at him in a questioning manner, and he continued to point. Giving up, I sighed, and went to the bed. I got under the covers, and they were softer than expected.

I went to sleep after that.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

When I woke up, everything was dark. There was no more music, and only a few candles and torches were giving any light. I strained to see, and eventually found that the dwarf had fallen asleep at the foot of the bed, no doubt from orders from the Professor. The Professor himself had fallen asleep at the organ, his head drooping down. I worried that his posture would hurt his back, but he didn't seem to mind.

I gingerly stepped over the mute man, who was fast asleep, and walked as quietly as I could over to where the Professor was sleeping, carrying a pillow and bed sheet. I put the pillow on the ground, and laid myself down beside the Professor's bench. I put the blanket over me, and went back to sleep.

The next time I woke up, someone was shaking me lightly.

"Julia? Julia?... Water."

I recognized the Professor's voice.

I heard the mute man getting the water with a cup, and coming back to us.

"Huh? Wait. I'm up. What's happening?"

I blinked.

There they were, squatting down beside me, the Professor ready to douse me with the water.

"Nothing. We just wanted to know why you were by me, instead of in the bed."

"I couldn't sleep.", I told them sheepishly.

"Oh.", the Professor said, confused. "Throw this back.", he said, and the dwarf ran back and poured the water back in the pond.

"You may leave, if you wish.", he mumbled, and went back to playing his organ for the umpteenth time.

"But why would I want to leave?", I asked, confused.

He didn't say anything.

Suddenly, I felt a tugging motion on the hem of my dress, and I pushed whatever it was away.

It was the dwarf, come to lead me out of here.

"Make sure she comes back.", the Professor mumbled, not looking at us.

"Of course I'll-", I started, but the mute pushed his hand onto my mouth, to tell me to be quiet.

I glared at him, and thought about biting his hand. But I didn't, and just pushed it off.

He motioned for me to follow, and I did reluctantly.

When we'd reached the edge of the room, at the door that led out, I stopped and looked at the Professor again.

The mute tapped my shoulder, as if to say, "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

I followed him out, and we ended up in a room of sorts, that was really a room for extra things, like extra music stands, chairs, and such.

"Thanks.", I told him, and he gave me an apple from inside his coat pocket, and clambered behind the stove again, the perfect decoy to hide the pathway.

"Oh. Okay, yeah, sure. Just leave me in a place that I don't really know, it doesn't matter, and oh yeah, don't tell me why, yeah. I'll be alright.", I grumbled, eating the apple.

After I finished, I heard someone singing a beautiful piece, and walked out of the drawing room, down the hallway, and into the main part of the house, the auditorium.

Yes, someone was singing. There they all were, standing like dumb spring chickens on the stage, and several men were sitting in the front row. I quietly picked my way up the aisle, and tapped the man who looked the friendliest on the shoulder.

"Oh. Hello, miss. What brings you here? Come to audition?", the man asked. He had a windblown type of hair style, and had a beard and mustache as well. Obviously, he was up in age, but still loved what he did.

"Oh, no. I can't sing a thing."

"Oh. That's sad."

"Hmm."

We sat there, listening to the girl audition, and then the man said, "Sorry about that, my name's Lattimer."

"Hmm… Say, can I help in some other way? Like clean or something? I really do need a job."

The man said, "Sorry, miss, but we're all booked up now. The only thing we need is singers at the moment."

"Oh, come now, Lattimer, she can help.", a younger man said. He had black hair, also windswept, and brown eyes and a copper complexion.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

"Hello, my name's Harry Hunter.", he said, offering his hand to shake.

I was going to shake his hand, but the man in the middle snatched Harry's wrist and said, "No, Mr. Hunter. We don't need little things like _that_."

"Like what, Mr. Darcy?", Harry asked. Lattimer looked on at the conversation, not willing to jump in, but willing to negotiate.

"We don't need her. She's not willing to sing."

"Oh, come on. Some people just aren't born with the ability to sing well. They have other talents.", Harry offered. "What can you do well, girl?"

"I can write stories pretty well."

"There you have it, Mr. Darcy. She can write operas."

"Um… I can't write dialogue like that. I meant that I can write books, with characters and plotlines. Not a script."

"See.", Mr. Darcy challenged. "She can't do anything useful to us, get her out of here."

"No.", Lattimer said. "She can write the basis of an opera, and we'll have someone come in and transfer it to a script."

"No! That's a waste of money! Besides, that's what we have people come in with the things they wrote for!"

By now, the audition had stopped, and everyone on the stage was looking at us.

"Hmm.", Lattimer said. "Everybody, five minute break. Come back and we'll start the rehearsal for the first act. Miss, you did an excellent job.", he told the woman in the front of the stage. She nodded, and went with Bill, the piano player, and the other women, to the back of the stage.

"What do you think you are doing?", Darcy hissed.

"Doing what I love.", Lattimer replied.

"Ugh.", was Darcy's reply.

"Okay, how about this?", Harry tried. "She can-"

"If I may, I have an idea.", the conductor said. He was an old man, with hair sticking out from behind his ears and all over his head, but was otherwise handsome in his old age. "How about she helps me and the orchestra get ready for the opera?"

"Yes.", Harry and Lattimer agreed. "It's an easy job, and she'll get paid, just like everyone else."

"Alright, alright, alright. But the instant I see hide or head of her, she's out.", Darcy griped.

"Thanks.", I told the conductor.

"Hello. Yes, my name is Mr. Rossi. Come along, come along.", he said hurriedly, ushering both me and the entire orchestra into the band room.

When everybody was situated, Mr. Rossi took me to the front, lifted my hand, and said, "Hello, everybody, this is my new helper, Miss-?"

"Julia.", I whispered.

"-Miss Julia. Please, do not rape her, and we'll get along just fine.", he said in a rush, and let go of me, running into the corner of the room, mumbling something about missing music.

Everybody in the orchestra raised their hands as one and said in unison, "Hi, Julia." Then they all put their hands down and started to chat amongst one another.

Mr. Rossi came running back, carrying an armful of music. "Here, here.", he said. "This is the new piece; pass it out, will you?"

"Sure, Mr. Rossi.", I said, taking the load of music from him. "Okay.", I grunted. "Where're the tubas?"

The tuba people raised their arms up, as if to say, "Here."

"M'kay, pass that back, will you?", I asked the flutes. That was how I passed out the music, I gave the specific instrumental part to the front, who passed it back to the next line of people, who in turn kept passing it back a row until it got to the people it was supposed to.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you.", Mr. Rossi said hurriedly.

So I spent the day like that, listening to the orchestra play, getting music for Mr. Rossi, making sure Mr. Rossi didn't lose any music, and things like that.

At the end of the day, around 5 o'clock or so, Mr. Rossi said, "Okay, everybody, time's up. See you all tomorrow and well done."

Then he turned to me, and said, "Here you go. Here's a little something for your trouble before payday. That's a good girl. Thanks for all your help. It's a good thing to have a helper; things have been getting lost on me the past few weeks. You don't seem to have trouble finding them. Goodbye."

He handed me something, and I looked at it. It was a crown, worth 5 shillings. I knew that one shilling was worth 24 U.S. cents, so he'd given me 120 cents, or $1.20.

_ Wow._, I thought. _He must be really grateful for my help._

I pocketed the money, and walked out.

"Bye, Julia.", some of the instrument players said to me on the way out. I mumbled bye back, and went to the room where the extras were kept.

The mute was there, and waved hi. I said, "Hi.", and showed him my crown. He smiled, baring his teeth, and turned around, pushing against the stove. It moved away from the wall, and showed a square shaped hole in the wall. This was the tunnel that he and I had come out of this morning.

He went in, and I followed. He didn't have to worry about me running off.

He shut the stove back in its original place, and motioned for me to walk. I did so, and came to the light.

Yes, everything was just the way it was this morning.

The professor was _still_ playing his music, and was okay, keeping with the mute's word.

Even though I was excited to tell him about the money I'd earned, I knew it would be disrespectful to disturb him.

Eventually, he stopped, and turned to face the mute and me.

"So. I heard you earned a little money today, Julia. Good. But we will do better.", he said, and walked down to meet us.

"Huh? What do you mean, Professor? Look, I earned a crown.", I said, showing him the money.

"Yes, yes, yes. All good in due time. But you will be better than just some conductor's helper. I will make you the owner! The manager, even!"

"Of?...", I asked, confused.

"The opera, my dear, the opera! We will get you to great heights!", he said, raising his arms, trying to portray what he was saying to me.

"Uh, okay. How?"

"You wait and see, my dear! You wait and see!", he shrieked, and turned back to his organ.

Even though I was confused, I was smiling slightly, because he'd called me his dear _twice_!


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

The mute and I played tic-tac-toe, him being the Xs, I was the Os. It was a fair game; he and I won and lost the same amount of times. Once or twice was even a draw between us.

Eventually, the music stopped, and the Professor walked over to us.

"What? _What_? What are you _doing_? That's parchment! Perfectly good parchment! That's to be used for music, not for silly games like tic-tac-toe!", the Professor screeched.

He ripped the parchment out from under our hands, and tore it to shreds. Then he kicked and stepped on the shreds, to portray how angry he was. Finally, with a small huff, he stopped having a fit and looked at his organ. Then he walked to it with a fast pace, saying, "The scoundrel…But sir, there is ten years' work there. Ten years of my life. Surely 50 pounds is... Mmm…mm-mm, mm-mm, ah –a-ah, I-I'm sorry. I accept." Then he bowed twice to an imaginary person, saying, "Thank you. Thank you.", and turned back to us. He had this wild, wide look to his eye, and he put his hand up to his forehead, closing his eye. Then he turned around again, and said in an urgent tone, "It's my music. My music. My-"

Then he got a hold of himself, and held his head between his hands. Almost holding his breath, he sat down and started to play. We could almost hear him start to breathe again; I guessed the music helped calm him down.

I turned to the dwarf. "Does he do that often?", I whispered.

The mute nodded.

"Hmm.", was my only reply.

Supper was much the same as last night. I ate in a different area than the others, so as not to see the Professor's face. The mute cleaned the dishes, put them away, and came back to us; I was back at the table by then, because the Professor had put his mask back on.

But instead of making barely any small talk like last night, the Professor asked, "So, Julia, where do you come from?"

"Uh…um…You want to know the truth?", I asked.

The Professor and the mute nodded.

"You won't freak out or anything?"

They exchanged a look, but nodded; this time a little more hesitantly.

"Well, I come from America, just…not from this time. I come from the future." And just to make the situation a little bit funnier, I put my fingers in the alien's sign of hello, and said, "I come in peace. Take me to your freezer."

They exchanged a wide eyed glance, and the Professor asked, "Freezer?"

"It's a big box-like thing that keeps food cold, and from going bad."

"Oh…How do we know you're telling the truth?"

I'd already searched my pockets in my dress, and pulled out my cell phone.

They stared at the phone like it was a bomb, and about to blow up, but otherwise stayed in their seats.

"It's harmless. Look.", I said, and played them my ringtone: Acoustica.

The mute had a terrified look on his face, but the Professor merely cocked his head a little, listening to the new sound.

When it finished, he said, "Oh. So that's where music's going to be in the future…Which part of the future?"

"2010 at latest."

"Can you time travel?"

"No. And that's the strange thing. I don't know how I got here."

After a second, he said, "Can you please put that up? It's bothering my friend."

In truth, his friend was currently running in a circle, clutching his head and making the act of screaming.

"M'kay.", I said, putting it back in my pocket.

After a few seconds, his friend calmed down, and returned to the table.

His friend looked at me strangely.

"Hey.", I complained. "Don't think me weird just because I come from the future and have technology on me… Don't hate the player, hate the game."

The Professor looked at me at that statement. He nodded slightly, agreeing with me.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

"Hmm. Now that we have that out of the way, what are you going to buy with your money? A notebook or something?", the Professor asked.

"No, I was just going to save it until we needed it for something. How did you know if I needed a notebook or not?"

"We overheard you saying something about how you're a good writer."

"You were there?"

"Yes, of course. What, you thought we were going to leave you alone all day? Heavens, no. And besides, we were only there for a little while. So don't get all upset."

"Humph."

Now there was that awkward pause again, where none of us had anything to say.

"There must be a box around here somewhere where you can save your money. Don't worry, he and I won't even touch it."

I smiled, and the mute went and fetched a brown, unappealing box, and handed it to me. I slipped my coin through the slot in the top that he'd made, and shook it. It made this thumping sound, and I couldn't wait until there were more coins for it to clink against.

I put the box down on the table, and smiled at them both.

"Professor?"

"What, miss?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Aren't we talking right now?"

"I meant alone."

"Oh.", he said, and looked at his friend. "Okay. Would you be so kind as to make sure the exit's blocked up?", he asked his friend. The man left, shaking his head as he went.

When the man was finally gone, the Professor said, "Okay, Julia. What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Um…well…Are you okay? No headaches or anything?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"You looked like you were in pain…earlier."

He knew what I was talking about.

"That's…nothing. Just…nothing. Besides, it's for me to deal with, and not you."

"I could help!", I protested.

"Help with what?"

"You!"

"What?"

"We saw you earlier! You need help! I could do it! I know what it's like!"

He stood up in a rage.

"No! No, you don't! Do you think you can understand, without suffering? Do you think that singers can become truly great without suffering? Do you think that I…have not…suffered?"

Then he started to mutter what he had earlier, something about a scoundrel, 50 pounds, and his music.

After he was finished, I wanted to calm him down. I started to sing my school's fight song.

_Fight, fight for old Destrehan,_

_ Sound up the trumpets, strike up the band…_

"Oh, no. Please stop! Where did you learn that?"

"Um… the future?", I tried.

"Ugh. Stand up straighter, put more air in your gut, not your lungs, and don't breathe from your shoulders. Also, sing from here! Here! Not that silly thing they call the page!", he said as he thumped his shoulder with his fist.

"Uh…okay.", I said.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

"And put more air into it! You're breathing! No-one wants to hear that!", he said.

The mute came back in, rubbing his eyes at the light.

"Hi.", the Professor said calmly, as if the mute had just dropped in for the first time today.

The man waved, and came back in.

The Professor absentmindedly walked up to his bench, and grabbed my wrist on the way. I could hear him muttering things like, "…air…bad…singer…needs…much…and work."

He plopped me down on the bench next to his bench, and said, "Look. Can you read this?"

He put a piece of music in front of me.

"I can play the trumpet. But I can't read singer's music, only in the B flat. You know, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C.", I said, fingering the notes as I said them.

He wasn't impressed.

"Yes, yes, that's all fine and good.", he said dryly.

"Alright then. Let's start with the notes first.", he said, turning to me. "This note here is an A."

"But I thought it was a B."

"In the trumpet's music, you twit! Not here!...Anyway, this note here is the B, and this one here is the C."

He told me the notes and their names, and, on his instruction, I pointed to the notes and said their names.

"Good, you are making improvement already. Now, try to sing a note. How about…B."

I tried to sing, but ended up with only air.

"Air! In the gut and lungs! Not the shoulders! More power!", he instructed.

I tried to do as he asked, and ended up with the feeling of encouragement from him. He was only being so harsh in order to get me to do better, that was all.

"Better. But that was a C, not a B. A little lower, please."

I tried the same technique as the first time, but a little lower as he asked.

"Good, good! That was the B! Now, onto the A…"

The rest of the day went like that, well into the night.

"Professor, I'm tired. Can I go to bed, please?"

He jerked his head in my direction, and his body posture clearly said, "How dare you?", and he got up and slapped me! Twice!

"Ouch! What the heck was that for? I'm tired! I want to go to bed!"

"You little fool! Do you think you can become better, without suffering?"

And then he went into his "suffering" speech.

All I heard was a lot of blah, blah, blah, with a bit of yak, yak, yak, set to the background of elevator music.

He was mumbling to himself in the corner now, talking to an invisible someone again. A memory of his past, perhaps?

Anyway, he came back, however unsteadily, and sat down again.

Suddenly, he turned sharply and said, "Again!"

I sighed heavily, and we went over the scale yet again.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

An eternity and a day later, he finally said, "Now you may rest."

I was almost weak on my feet, and said, "Thank you."

"Tomorrow, we work on combining the words with the notes."

_Whatever._, I thought.

I shuffled down the slope, and trudged towards the bed. The professor wasn't even fazed by my unplanned music lesson, and he continued to play.

I woke up early, a little under-rested. The professor had gotten up again, and was still playing.

_Would he ever stop?_, I wondered.

I got up, stepped over the mute's sleeping body, and walked up to the Professor.

He didn't seem to notice me, and continued to play, ignoring me. Once he was finally finished, he turned to me and said, "Hello, Julia. You are up early, today? Anything special you got up for?"

_You._ , I wanted to say, but was too shy to.

"Nothing. I just wanted to hear you play, but over here where I can hear you clearer."

He nodded, and said, "Would you like to have some breakfast?"

"Yes, please."

He looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

I looked too, and the mute was coming up to us, carrying a tray with fruit on it.

"Now wherever did you get that?"

The mute looked up, as if to say, "I got it from the people.", and pushed the tray towards us.

"You and your thievery.", the Professor mumbled, taking an apple.

I took an apple as well, and the mute went back down to the table, and put the tray on it. He took a banana, and sat down, watching us.

I started to eat my apple.

"Uh…remember?", the Professor said, brushing his mask with his hand, giving me a hint.

"Oh.", I said, dejectedly getting up and walking down the slope. I could feel his gaze on my back, and felt all the more sad for it. He wouldn't let me see his face.

I ate sadly, taking only a bite or two once every two minutes. After a few minutes, the Professor and the mute came and sat by me.

"Are you okay?", the Professor asked begrudgingly.

"Yeah.", I said dully.

"You don't sound okay? Is something wrong?"

I looked pointedly at his face.

He stiffened, and sat up.

The mute touched the hilt of his knife, but the Professor waved him off.

He said stiffly, "Madam, you shall never see me, if only for your own good."

"But…"

"No buts. Now, we practice.", he said, taking me by the wrist and taking me to the benches.

I sighed, and got ready to sing again.

For the next few hours, he kept me practicing, and taught me the words to a simple, yet complex, song, after we'd reviewed the notes from yesterday.

I took pride in knowing that he was doing this to teach me, and that he had no want or thought of anything else during this time.

But still, it made me tired, but, like anything else, I trudged onward, neither knowing when we would stop, nor what time it was.

Finally, eventually, he stopped playing, and turned to me, and said, "Now, we rest."

I sighed deeply.

His pupil sparkled when I sighed, for whatever reason.

I trudged down to the table, sat down, and buried my head in my arms.

The professor came and shook me.

"What?", I snapped a little louder than I meant to.

He seemed a little startled by my reaction, but said, "I just wanted to see if you were all right."

"Alright? Of course I'm alright! I just put my head in my arms because I'm tired!"

He stood up a little straighter, and said, "Madame, you are only tired because you are not used to it. Not because of me." He only called me madam when he was angry or something like that.

I spat back, "Look. Can I talk to you alone again?"

"Anything you can say in front of me, you can say in front of him!", he yelled.

I flinched.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

He cocked his head ever so slightly, and said, "Miss, I am sorry. Please, forgive me." He looked over to his friend, and said, "Surely, there must be something to do outside."

His friend looked at me, and then at him, and left.

The Professor sat down, and looked at me.

"If you want to be better, ", he said, "you will have to pay the price for your singing: being tired. That is the way it must be, if you want to get better."

"Why did you start teaching me?"

"Because your voice was horrendous!"

I looked at the table, ashamed.

"But you are better.", he said. "Better than before."

I looked at him. "Really?"

He nodded slightly.

I sighed again, and looked at the table.

"What is it?"

"Hmm?"

"What is it that's bothering you?"

"Nothing.", I griped, out of habit.

He said nothing, waiting.

"I just…", I said, and looked over at a spot on the wall.

"What is it Julia? I don't like being played with!"

"I…like you, Professor… I really do."

He just blinked, and stared at me.

"You like me?"

I nodded, and whined, "Yes. I do. And I'm afraid you don't like me back."


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

He just blinked again, and sat up straight.

"We need another singing lesson.", he said absentmindedly, and I followed, pining after him.

Finally, eventually, we stopped again, and ate dinner. The mute had come back already. I was so tired from today, that I went to bed. The Professor, for some reason, did not object to this. I was glad he didn't.

I didn't dream at all that night, but when I woke up, I had the distinct impression that something black was covering my eyes. I couldn't hear anything either and I was being shaken somewhat harshly.

I opened my eyes.

The Professor and the mute stopped shaking me, their eyes wide as they looked at me.

"What?", I asked.

"…Julia…", the Professor said, somewhat worried.

"Hmm?"

"…You…You were screaming bloody murder in your sleep…What happened? Was it a bad dream?"

He didn't say this tauntingly, but as if he was worried.

"Oh, really?...Cool! How loud was I?"

They exchanged a glance.

"Quite loud. I wanted to wake you up before anyone heard, you were so loud."

"I only did that once before. I wonder why."

"You never found out why?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Then his rejection from last night came back to my memory, and I instantly quieted and grew sad.

The day went on as usual: the Professor continued to play his music as the dwarf led me out the secret passage. I nodded sadly, thanking him silently. He had a slightly worried expression on his face, but I waved him off and walked out of the room. I only looked back at the sound of the "door" shutting.

He hadn't followed me.

I sighed heavily and made my way to the band room.

As always, the director Mr. Rossi was worried and anxious. Immediately upon seeing me, he stuffed a pile of papers in my hand and said, in a breathy voice, "Please pass these out." Then he went back and mumbled nervously to himself.

I did as he asked, and passed the sheets of paper to the flutes, who in turn passed each paper back until all the musicians had one.

Only then did I bother to read the single sheet of paper I had left in my hand.

It read:

**To All Opera Employees, Affiliates, and to whom it may concern: **

** Due to an increasing number of accidents, missing articles, and reports of a "ghost", all workers will be subject to an interrogation with the owner and the detective of his choice. All interrogation dates and times are to be post on the main board at 2:00 p.m. next Monday, and will take place in the owner's office. **

_Great freaking marionettes of hell._, I grumbled in my mind. _The professor __**doesn't **__like me and I have to be interrogated by that mean __**fool **__they call an owner, __**and **__with a detective of his choice, __**no less**__!_

I looked up with this mad scowl on my face to see other people's reactions to this. As far as I knew, no accidents had happened, no articles had gone missing, and I'd never heard one report of a ghost since I got here. I knew perfectly well that the "ghost" was Professor Petrie and his mute friend. This interrogation thing was ticking me off.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

Other people had worried and frightened expressions on their faces. Mr. Rossi especially had a worried expression on his face, and he was unconsciously chewing his own mustache.

_Jeez-la-weez, what does that man, the owner, do to people?_, I wondered, half angry, half worried myself.

"Practice is canceled for today.", Mr. Rossi mumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear. I even thought I heard him mumble, "…Save yourselves.", to himself.

I went up to him with a kindly worried expression on my face, and asked, "Mr. Rossi, are you alright?"

"Yes…no. My music has been ripped up the past few times, and people's costumes have been stolen, among other things."

"When did this happen?"

"A few days before you arrived."

"Oh…thanks for the information, Mr. Rossi. I hope all goes well."

At the indirect mention of the inevitable interrogation, Mr. Rossi grew even more nervous and started to moan slightly and rung his hands together.

So, with nothing better to do, I started to walk down the hallway to the extras room. But then I stopped, having remembered who had ripped up the music and took the costumes and spread the rumors, thus forcing not only me but all the other workers here to have a mandatory interrogation by you-know-you (no, not Voldemort).

I was furious now, and ran up to the mute who was loyally waiting for me, and shoved him to make him open the door that much faster.

He had a half angry, half terrified expression on his face, and opened the door promptly. I didn't even wait for him to move; I rushed past him and stomped down the passage until I ended up in the small lake of sorts.

Without bothering to get out of the water, I screeched to the Professor (who was up at his organ, playing it), "Oi! Get down here!"

My polite manners and fear of insulting him or his friend had flew out the window when I remembered that it was he and his friend who had indirectly forced the manager to force us (the workers) to a mandatory interrogation.

I hissed, "You mind explaining this?"

Disgusted, I flicked the paper away from me and turned my head with a disgusted expression on my face. The mute caught the paper before it could land in the water and get wet.

The mute got up out of the water (I was still in the lake, standing up) and took the paper to the Professor, who by now had gotten up and was standing to the side of his organ with a somewhat cautious body posture.

Together they silently read the paper, and when they'd finished, the Professor looked up at me and breathed, "…What?"

"You read it.", I growled, crossing my arms.

He tilted his head to the side, and said, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry, my —!"

"What…what can I do?"

I softened slightly at his obvious act of trying to help/reverse my anger.

"It's not the fact that you did those things; I remember now why and how you did them. What I'm angry right now about is how I'm going to do this interrogation thing. I don't want to get near that man, and I don't like having to get near him without my permission."

They were both relieved that my anger was explained.

"You'll catch cold…", the Professor whispered.

I nodded slightly at his unfinished statement, and wadded my way out of the water onto the shore.

The mute came with a towel to dry me off. The Professor had discarded the offending paper onto the table, and watched while the mute helped dry me off.

"Gosh…I need a bath.", I mumbled to myself.

The mute looked at the Professor with a slightly worried expression on his face.

"…", was all the Professor said.

"…Is the water…okay?", I asked, ignoring their discomfort.

"…Yes…we'll leave now.", he said.

I then realized why they were uncomfortable.

"Oh…sorry."

"That's…alright…I think."

They both left, and for the first time in this room I was alone.

I found a cloth and soap that they must have used to clean other things; I made a mental note to go out and buy my own cloth and soap.

I felt uneasy about this, but it had to be done.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

The water felt sort of dirty against my skin, but otherwise it was fine. I was sort of nervous, doing this in here, but I worked quickly. In fact, I was getting used to this, the faster I worked, and was so calmed by it I didn't perceive someone's footsteps. But my head did jerk up at the last few seconds, and I quickly ducked under the water, its color hiding me.

I raised my hand above the water and deliberately splashed it, as if to say, "Go away!"

The footsteps went away, quicker than before.

I hesitantly raised my head above the water, pleased that they had gone.

I dried myself off and dressed quickly, not wanting to do a repeat of that. I finished, and combed my hair in vain, knowing that when it dried (without a hair drier) my hair would end up being a very poufy, not to mention curly, ball of hair.

I, distressed and down, walked out the door and into the extras room.

They'd disappeared and gone off somewhere. I sighed, hoping I hadn't scared them off, and spooked myself when I realized that someone would begin to ask questions if anyone saw me with my hair wet, like I'd just taken a bath. I quickly went back into the room and shut the door behind me, locking it tight. They would know how to get in.

I sighed, and dried my hair in vain. Then I heard someone's footsteps come. I turned around, snarling slightly, not recognizing that pair of footsteps. But it was just the professor, come to see if I was finished.

He coughed nervously, and asked, "So I take it you're finished."

I gave a, "Um-hmm." In reply. To break the awkward tension, I asked, "What am I going to do for the interrogation thing on Monday?"

He sighed heavily in relief, and his friend trotted over to us, also with relief.

"We know what to do."

"What?"

"Never mind it, we know what to do."

"If you think I'm a –."

"We don't think you're a fool.", he snapped. "Just…trust us."  
I nodded obediently at them, gloomily thinking, _But when are you going to trust __**me**__?_


	14. Chapter 14

Phantom Ch. 14

The weekend came and went. It mostly consisted of me running around helping the director with his music, walking away very quickly whenever I caught sight of Mr. Darcy, and being very worried about the upcoming, mandatory interrogation on Monday. The Professor and the mute watched all these reactions coming from me with wary caution. They did not intrude on my behavior, but stayed kindly out of my way, knowing the source of my anxiety.

Finally…finally…it came.

My insomnia came back, and I didn't sleep at all Sunday night except for a few precious hours. But I didn't sleep well, and woke up very groggy. The Professor and the mute just stared, kind of sadly, at me, none of us saying anything, as I left the room through the secret entrance.

I walked, groggy, sad, and anxious, to the front board where the notice was supposed to be posted. But there was a large crowd of people, all jabbering to each other, in the way. Being short and weak, I sighed, irritated, and waited.

After a few minutes, the crowd thinned, and I got close enough to look.

My time with Mr. Darcy and the detective of his choice was last on the list.


End file.
